Arkham High
by TriforceP
Summary: AU. It's Bruce Wayne's freshman year at Arkham High. Will he be able to survive his classmates? Based on "Gotham High", a cancelled TV show. Joker x Harley Quinn; Batman x Batgirl, and others.
1. Welcome to Campus

**_Hey all! Sorry it's been taking so long... I just haven't had much time to write lately. Until last night, when I couldn't sleep, so I stayed up way too late to write this. Therefore, I warn you that it isn't as polished as I'd like it. I _****will ****_be rewriting this later on, so just tell me if you think there's a part I need to work on a little bit._**

**_Anyway, here it is! Happy New Year!_**

I still remember the first day of high school like it was yesterday.

Early September. The sun was bright and, the wind was crisp, like the world was still trying to decide if it was summer or fall. I was dropped off in a black car... Not sure about the make and model, but I knew the man driving it perfectly well... I'd known him my whole life.

The school stood in front of us, haunting. They say that it used to be a mental hospital before they converted it into a school, and I somehow didn't doubt it. In fact, I checked it out after graduation, and it turned out to be true. The tall, foreboding building that had once been the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane sat there, doors open, yearning for new patients. I didn't like the idea of going in, for obvious reasons. But the car was already gone... And, despite how close to home it was, I doubted I'd see it again before Thanksgiving. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed my bags and walked inside.

While the faculty had tried to make it inviting with flowers and decorations, the lobby still looked eerily similar to something out of The Silence of the Lambs. The walls were almost bare, and the only piece of artwork in the room was a giant painting of a woman: Elizabeth Arkham, watching over the new residents of her son's asylum. Looking around, I noticed a number of teachers talking to students. Seeing one unoccupied, I walked over to him, "Hi."

"Good day, and welcome to Elizabeth Arkham Secondary School. I'm Kirk Langstrom, head of our science department here. I'll assume you're one of the new Freshman?"

I nodded once, "Yeah. Where do I go?"

"What's your name?" Langstrom asked, "I'll send you to your dorm room."

"Wayne," I said quietly.

"Could you repeat that please?" He asked, leaning in, "A little louder this time... My hearing isn't what it used to be."

"I said Wayne," I looked him in the eye, "My name is Bruce Wayne."

Maroni Hall was the building I'd be staying in this year. It wasn't much to look at... Just another cell block-turned-residence hall. As I scanned my student ID card and walked in, I was assaulted by another student. He was a little taller than me, and looked to be averagely athletic. He was wearing a pair of Khakis and a tee shirt, half yellow and half white. His face was painted the same way, and his hair was dyed those colors too. He was holding a stack of papers, "Welcome to Arkham High, ladies and gents. Hey, you!" He walked over to me, "Take one of these. Welcome to AH."

I took the paper, "Why thank you, Mister School Spirit."

He sighed and looked at his shirt, "Not my idea. I lost a bet," he turned around and save another guy sitting on a bench, laughing his head off. He looked like a stereotypical "cool kid", with ripped jeans, red-tinted glasses, and a white shirt. He was bald and, while his skin was white as ice, it was obvious he was popular. Kid Spirit groaned, "Oh SHUT UP, Victor! It's not THAT funny," when the other guy didn't reply, school spirit flipped him off, "Anyways, I'll see you around," he walked off to the next student. I looked down at the paper he'd handed me. "Vote 4 Dent, Class President 2015" it read. I started walking, looking at it. Running for president already? It was the first day... Hardly anyone knew each other.

Suddenly, a seductive feminine voice appeared out of thin air, "Looks like you've already met my competitor."

I turned to find the source of the voice and met eyes with a gorgeous redhead. She had on a green mini-skirt and a tight green tanktop, "Guess I may as well... Intervene," she put out her hand. It looked almost green, "My name's Pamela, but you can call me Ivy. Everyone does," she grinned at me seductively, "And you would be?"

"Bruce Wayne."

She looked shocked at first, then got her composure, "Bruce Wayne? The millionaire heir? How... Exciting," she winked at me, "Come along, Bruce dear. You need to meet my roommate," she pulled me through the crowd towards a table that had "Ivy for President" signs all over it. Sitting at the table was a goth chick, with a tight black top and a brown skirt. She looked at me, and I knew I was in for trouble, "This is my roommate, Selina Kyle," I nodded, "Oh, Selina dear! I have someone for you to meet!"

I shook my head quickly, "Sorry, Ivy. I was late to the school in the first place, and I need to go upstairs to drop off my stuff."

Ivy looked at me, disappointed, "Are you sure?"

I was tempted to stay, I really was, but I needed to get going, "Yes, I am. So sorry."

"I guess I'll just have to introduce you two some other time," she handed me a campaign page, "Good-bye, Bruce."

I finally found the elevator, and was able to slip in no problem. Inside, I found two other guys, just hanging out. One of them, a tall punk with a brown Mohawk and black makeup smeared over one eye, nodded at me as I got in, "Hey."

"Hey yourself. Nice to meet you."

"You too," he put out his hand in greeting, "I'm Jonathan Crane. This here," he gestured to the shorter guy next to him, with long brown hair and an artist's smock with flecks of... Clay, maybe? "This is my roommate, Matt Hagen."

I shook both of their hands, "Bruce."

"Well, Bruce, nice to meet you," Matt said shyly, "What floor are you on?"

"Third. You two?"

"The same," Jonathan replied, "And actually, we're here," we stepped out of the elevator as it let off a "ding" into a hallway much calmer than the one two floors below. Or so I thought.

"Get back here, nerd!" Someone yelled. I turned to see a short, nerdy guy with underwear pulled over his head running from a tall, well-built man. The nerds underwear were monogrammed with the name "Nygma". The taller guy was unquestionably the star football player, Waylon "Croc" Jones.

Behind them was another pair. One of them was short and fat with a pointy nose. the other was a muscle-bound hulk with a luchador mask covering the top of his head. His face was still visible though. Like Croc, this guy was also well-known: Antonio Diego, state champion wrestler. He spoke with a South American accent to the small guy, "Just give me the money and nobody gets hurt. Got it, Ozzy?"

Jonathan, Matt and I stepped away from the group quickly. Best not to get involved. A few doors down, my companions stopped, "Well, this is our room," Matt said, "Nice meeting you. See you around?"

"Of course. You guys don't seem half bad," I gave them both a high five before leaving them.

Continuing on to room number 39, I scanned my card, idly wondering if my roommate were inside. I opened the door to find myself face to face with a pair of lovebirds sucking face. The girl was short, maybe five flat, but she way made up for her size in bust. She wore red overalls and her blond hair was held in ponytails. The man wore more makeup than she did, enough to look whiter than Victor. His hair was dyed green, and his lipstick was redder than Ivy's. He wore light-colored jeans and a black tee shirt. After a few seconds, they realized that they were being watched and split apart. He was the first to speak.

"Bruce I'll guess?"

I nodded, "About time you showed up your hobo! I'm your roommate, Jay!" He laughed, "And this is Harley, my girlfriend."

She smiled at me innocently, "Nice to meetcha."

"And you too," I replied, stepping inside.

J put his arm around my shoulders, "Bruce? I think we'll get along just fine."

"Good to know," I felt a little weirded out by him, but I tried not to let it show.

"Harl? How about you go head down to your room? I think that Bruce and I need to get to know each other."

"I would, but I need to wait for her."

"Oh yeah. I forgot about her."

"Who?" I asked, "Your roommate?"

"Harley?" A woman asked from outside, "You in there?"

I turned to see the most beautiful girl I could ever imagine. She had brown hair that she kept up and hazel eyes, hidden behind a pair of glasses. She wore capri jeans and a gray-and-white shirt. She was clutching a few books to her chest, "Oh," she said, seeing me, "Hi."

"Hi."

"Babs!" Harley called, "I'm coming! Just... Give me a moment!" She and Jay kissed one more time and she grabbed her purse. Waving goodbye, she took her roommate by the arm and the pair walked away.

When the door was closed, Jay nudged me, "She likes you," he teased.

"You think so?" I asked, looking at him.

"Man, I know so. You need to get your head out of the clouds," he bounded to the bed he'd already claimed, "Go on and get set up. Schedule says that we've got an assembly in a half hour. You need to get to work."

_**So what do you guys think? Like it? Leave a review to tell me how good (or bad) it is! I know I only glanced over people quickly here, but I'll be going more in-depth with them in later chapters.**_

_**Also, I promised that I'd share the link to my role playing website on here: Morgavia! Check it out here and mention if you came from here!**_


	2. Introductory Assembally

_Another chapter! Sorry it took so long... I've been busy with schoolwork. This chapter is mostly meant to introduce more characters. This should be the last major introduction chapter, so expect it to get better after this. If you have any other characters you want me to add, tell me which ones and who you want them to be. I'll make arrangements._

_On that note, a few rules: 1) No other DC super-characters or their villains. This is a specifically Batman school. 2) ABSOLUTELY no Marvel. I say no more._

_Anyways, have fun and I hope you like it!  
Not mine._

Once I was (pretty much) set up, Jay and I decided to head down to the "auditorium". I don't even want to know what it used to be... the idea of this place being an asylum still weird me out a little. It was already partway full. As soon as we walked in, Jay was tackled by Harley and dragged off to who-knows-where. Shrugging, I looked around for an empty seat.

"Bruce Wayne. My, my, my. What a surprise."

I knew that voice. Why was HE here? I turned to face the speaker, "Derek Powers. It's been a while," we'd gone to middle school together, and I thought that coming here would mean good riddance. I faked a smile, "How was your summer?"

"Not bad, Bruce. Not bad at all," he was wearing a brown suit (a little overdressed, as usual), similar-colored slacks, and the same smug grin he always did. In a way, his face reminded me of my own. "This," he said, interrupting my thoughts, "Is my roommate, Roman Sionis."

I looked Roman up and down. Bald, medium build, and hard, piercing eyes. He wore a black suit with a black shirt beneath it. His tie was also the same disturbingly dark color. I extended a hand to him, "Nice to meet you, Roman."

He took it, "A pleasure as well, Bruce."

Derek spoke up, "You have a place to sit yet, Bruce?"

I shook my head, "Was just about to go looking."

"Well then, why don't you join us? We're going to go sit in a separate section. One for people... like us," he rubbed his fingers together.

Great. The millionaire section. Full of snotty rich kids.

"Sounds good," I replied cheerily, "Thanks for asking."

"Come along then," Derek walked up a nearby flight of stairs. Roman and I followed.

We got up there, and, after a quick check at who we were, were let into the private box. Inside there were only a few other people. Derek walked over to two of them, "Hey boys. Sorry we're late. Want you to meet the new guy," he gestured back to me.

One of the two turned around. He had short blond hair and a gaunt face. He looked sleep-deprived and wore a long-sleeve shirt and turtleneck. He gave a small smile, "Victor Zsasz. What's your name?" he asked in a voice that sounded very restrained, and almost... dead. I shook it off.

"Bruce Wayne."

The figure in the chair next to him tensed up. Victor leaned over and whispered to him, then came back, "I'd introduce you two, but it sounds like you already know each other."

The other chair swiveled around, "Bruce," he said, "It's been a while," the speaker wore a head of red hair and a grin that he'd known since childhood. He wore a brown trenchcoat and a white shirt underneath.

"Tommy?" I gasped, taken aback.

"Yep. Good old Tommy Elliot," he put out his hand, "We should talk more often."

I was about to reply, but suddenly the lights darkened.

"Take a seat, " Roman whispered, "Or else Grundy back there will have a fit," I looked back at the graying man in a black suit. His name tag red "Cyrus Gold".

"He _does_ look like a zombie, doesn't he?" Victor whispered before the hulk turned to glare at them. They all silenced and turned to look at the speaker.

"Hello, and welcome to Arkham High, students," he said. He was bald and veiny, with a white beard encrusting his face. He wore a pair of round, yellow-tinted glasses, "I am Hugo Strange, and I'll be your principal this year," he paused for a moment, and there was only silence. After waiting for a few seconds, he continued, "So I would like to officially welcome you all to the inaugural year of Arkham High. While some of my faculty is still busy... preparing for the school year, I would like to introduce those who are not busy to you. First of all," he motioned behind himself, and two man walked up.

One had black hair with streaks of white, pointed back. He sported a number of small spikes of facial hair, and had on an old-timey green coat. "This is Ross Al-Ghul," Strange explained,"He is the head of our history department."

The other sported a brown beard and a very muscular frame, though it appears that he skipped leg day. He wore a red sash and a plain white shirt, "This is Maximillian Zeus, another history teacher."

Next up were two more hulking men. One of them had gray hair and was... was he wearing an eyepatch? He also had on an orange under armor shirt and black athletic shorts. Slade Wilson was his name. To his right was a pale white guy with red eyes and long blonde hair. He was definitely roided up, and his name was Ronald Desmond. These guys were team PE.

Next was the teacher from earlier, Kirk Langstrom. Science apparently. He was followed by a short ginger guy with buck teeth and a green getup. Jervis Tetch, english. A few more teachers came through, but nobody really memorable. Then it came to faculty.

First was the librarian, an old white-haired man named Arnold Wesker. Standing next to him was the secretary, another bald guy (how many of them were there?) named Julian Day. The last guy was the head of security, a graying old man with a mustache. He was Jim Gordon.

"And that's it for the faculty who were able to make it today," Strange said, "Now it's time for dinner. If you would all be so kind as to make your way to the cafeteria, that would be perfect."


	3. Dinner!

_Hey guys! I'm back! This chapter is a little rough around the edges, but I like it. R&amp;R, but most importantly, enjoy!_

After the assembly, I lost the other millionaires in the hallway. I know, huge loss, right?

Anyways, I followed the deluge of students towards the cafeteria, and, after grabbing a slice of pizza, noticed Harvey waving at me. His room mate, Jonathan, and Matthew were all sitting next to him. With a shrug, I took an empty seat next to Harv.

"Where were you during the assembly?" Matt asked

"Caught up with a couple of morons I know. You guys?"

"Harv here," Jonathan said, elbowing his comrade. (Who was still wearing his face paint, I realized), "Got us seats right next to the door. First in line for dinner."

"Smart move. I nearly drowned trying to make it here," I turned to the one guy I didn't know, the one with the glasses, "I don't think we've officially met. Names Bruce."

"It's cool," he replied, shaking my hand, "I'm Victor, but the girls call me Freeze," he grinned, "At least, that's what they do when they see me."

I laughed a little, "Nice."

I looked at Jonathan, "I didn't expect to see the likes of you guys sitting next to the popular kid," I said, "No offense to either of you."

"None taken," the punk said between mouthfuls of pepperoni, "Harv and I have been neighbors for more than a decade. We've grown close," the two high fived. I never really had a friend like that... Then again, isn't that why I wasn't being homeschooled any more?

I looked down at my plate to find my last slice of pizza, but it was gone. Quizzically, I started looking. Hearing chewing behind me, I turned to see Jay munching on my Hawaiian, "Great choice, Bruce. Anything with pineapple hits the spot," he jumped down next to me, "So these your guys?"

"Well, looks like it," I said, "May as well introduce you. Everyone? This is my room mate, Jay. Jay, this is Jonathan, Matt, Harvey and Victor."

"Nice to meet you all," Jay practically pushed his hand towards Harvey. The student politician reached out to shake it, but brought his hand back quickly. He shook it and glared at Jay.

"Joy buzzers," my room mate laughed, "Works every time," he took it off, "Shake now?" The two did so successfully this time.

"Where's Harley?" I asked him, "I'd think she'd be all over you right now."

Jay shrugged, "Went to the ladies room on the way. She'll be around soon enough."

About now, everyone was done eating, so we threw out our trash and headed out, "Any plans for tonight?" Victor asked.

"Nothing here."

"Hey, Bruce," Jay elbowed me softly, "How about we throw a party? Back to school?" He laughed a little, "Think it'd be a blast."

"Sounds good to me."

"So how's it sound boys? Our room, eleven?"

"Vic and I are good," Harvey replied.

"I've... Got stuff to do," Matt admitted, "Would if I could, but I can't."

"Sucks for you then," Jay said, "Well see the rest of you in a few hours?"

"No problem," Jonathan said as he broke off from the group, "Eleven."

Jay and I walked back to our room alone. Everyone else was off in their rooms or in the library or wherever. Suddenly I found myself on the ground.

"There you are, Puddin" Harley whispered.

"I was wondering about you," Jay laughed, kissing her, "Id stay with you longer, but Bruce and I have stuff to do. How about you come up to the third floor at about eleven? We're having a party."

Harley looked disappointed, then excited, "Babs and I are coming," she promised, "Don't have too much fun without us," she giggled and the two kissed before she bounded off.

"Now, let's find a way to keep ourselves occupied for the next few hours," Jay announced, "To the parking lot!"

_So whaddya think? Tell me in the reviews. Want a character added? Tell me, and also tell me where you want them to be. I'll thank you in an A/N. Also, I need a math teacher. Get to work, nerds!_


	4. Joy Ride

The two of us walked downstairs. We passed a few people, but nobody I recognized. I nodded to a few, but Jay blasted through them like they weren't even there.

When we got into the parking lot, he led me to a purple car parked surprisingly near the building. The model and year were beyond me, but it was a four-door sedan with a sun roof. Probably from the 90s, but I couldn't be sure. Even before getting in I could see the bright green seats. Not my favorite color scheme, but to each his own.

I slid in the passenger side as Jay popped into the drivers side and patted the dash. "Your baby?" I asked.

"You've got no idea," he replied, pulling out. As we did, I noticed spray paint in the spot. As we moved farther out, I was able to figure out what it said:

_Clown Cars Only. All others will be joy buzzed_

Of course you would, Jay.

We hit up the ferry, then made our way through town and into the hills just north of Gotham. We took a few back roads and ended up at a small turn-off from the road. Jay parked and got out, "You gotta see this," he said, gesturing down a path. I followed him to the end and saw a site unlike any ill see again.

The light was dying down, and the sun was still visible on the horizon. The many colors of the sunset were visible, pinks, purples, yellows, all dancing in the darkening sky. Below us was Gotham. The building lights were on, making the city glow like the nightlight he'd had in his bedroom as a kid. The street lamps flickered on, all at once. It was quite the site to see.

Jay, being slightly taller than me, rested his elbow on my shoulder, "Beautiful, ain't it?"

There were no words. I just couldn't reply.

Jay grinned, "I knew you'd like it."

Then pushed me.

I felt like I was going to die there, falling from that cliff. In my head I cursed out my roommate, before I felt a hand on my wrist jerk me back.

"Saved your life," he joked. I was surprised... Jay was stronger than he looked. Making sense of it, I smiled some, but at the same time stepped away from the edge some.

Jay laughed, "I don't blame ya. Now come on... Let's get some stuff, then back to the room."

We went back to his car and drove off. On the drive back to town, I closed my eyes, and, in my minds eye, I saw the skyline again, created by the setting sun. I took a deep breath and smiled. Definitely worth it.

A short time later, the back was full of food and booze (don't ask me who he got it from... Let's just say he introduced me to some people), and we were getting back on the island. We parked, then Jay locked it up, "Let's wait to bring it in. Don't want Gordon to pick us up for it." I saw his logic, so we headed in.

As we entered the lobby, Langstrom walked over, "Good timing, boys. Room inspections are starting soon."

"Got it," Jay replied, shaking him off. But, as soon as we were out of sight, he sprinted to the elevators, chanting, "Shit shit shit," the elevator doors opened, and we ran in. As soon as the doors opened on our floor, he sprinted down to our room. As I got in, I saw him slip something into his pocket.

"Y'know," I told him, sitting on my bed, "Inspections were on the schedule. You should've noticed that beforehand."

"Well, I wasn't quite paying attention," he admitted. I sighed and leaned back. About a minute later, there was a knock on the door.

"It's open!"

The door opened, and Day and Strange entered. Jay and I stood up, "Good evening, gentlemen," Strange told us, "How was your meal?"

"Fine, thanks," I replied, thinking about the pizza Jay stole from me.

"Good to hear," he replied, "Julian? Read off the list for me, will you?"

"Right away, Doctor Strange," he replied. The two went through the checklist, making sure it was follows to a T. When it was all done, he turned to me, "Passable, but shall we make sure your clothes are neatly folded next time, Mister Wayne? Its only w first day. They shouldn't be a problem already," he nodded at Jay, "Mister Kerr," and the two left.

Jay wiped his forehead and sat on his bed, "Remind me to find a place for me to put the pot in the morning, will ya?"


	5. The Morning After

_Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long... I'm a senior in high school, and it's busy season. I know this is a short chapter, but I'll have more soon. And sorry for those people who were looking forward to the party scene... I realized that I'm not good at writing those, so I'll work on that. But no worries, I'll have another one eventually. As for my Zelda stories, I'll work on them too, but this is the story I enjoy writing the most. Hope you guys like it!  
NOTE: I do not own Batman or any related characters. _

I woke up the next morning and the first thing that came to mind was that I had a hangover. Great.

Looking around, I was surprised to see that I'd made it to my bed the night before. I didn't drink a lot, but I've always been a bit of a lightweight. Antonio was curled up on the floor, sleeping like a baby, and... He was holding a teddy bear. Very manly.

Hearing someone walking into the room, I turned to see Jay waltzing in. He and Harley had disappeared after maybe an hour, and I had a pretty good idea where they'd gone. He saw me and grinned, "Hangover?"

I just nodded, "You don't look hungover at all."

"I don't get hangovers. Its part of my charm," he flashed a grin.

"Well lucky for you."

Finally managing to get dressed, I looked at Jay, who was making a smoothie. He looked back at me, "Special recipe. Cures hangovers like nothing else," he let it spin a bit more, then poured it into a cup, "Here y'go."

"What's in it?" It looked disgusting.

"Coffee beans, hot sauce, sugar, hot cocoa powder, a Monster, and a few types of soda," he saw my skeptical look, "It's delicious man. Just try it." He poured two cups and passed me one, "Cheers," we took a drink. The taste was... Interesting. I'm not sure if it was good or bad, but it kept me running. As I did, I noticed something move on Jay's bed. Turning to look, I saw Barbara's head peek out from under the covers.

"Harley and I... Made ourselves comfortable last night in their room," Jay explained, "Told Barb she could hang in here for the night if she didn't want to stay."

I nodded to her as she sat up and yawned, then, seeing us staring at her, she jumped up and headed out the door. Jay shrugged and took another drink while I checked the time. Swearing under my breath, I grabbed my bag, "We need to be getting to classes."

"You head out," Jay told me, "I'll hang in here for a few more minutes."

I nodded, "Later man," I took two steps then tripped over Antonio, who I'd ended up waking up. I landed facing his growling face, "Morning, sleeping beauty," I told him, "Nice teddy." His angry "you-woke-me-up" face suddenly became one of shock. He saw the creature in his arms and closed his hand around it (he had big hands and a small bear).

"No worries man. Stays between us," I grabbed my bag.

"It better, rich boy."

I left the room without glancing at him, and barely noticed a leather-gloved hand reaching out from under my bed. Poor Jonathan.


	6. Mister Ghul

_Hey guys! Back already!  
As I've been saying, I'm going to be updating more often, though not quite this often.  
So, since I've mostly gotten intros done, I'll start taking requests. No lemons, but tell me what you want and I may put it in. I have my own ideas too, but not enough for the whole story._

Looking at the paper in my hand, I read the first class on the list: _Notable Figures in History: Mr. Ross Ghul_

Ah. Great. History. A class where you don't have to think first thing in the morning. Always a welcome site.

The campus was pretty large, and it took me maybe ten minutes to get there. When I arrived in the room, I saw that most of my class was already asleep. An unmistakable sign of history class. It was a surprisingly large room, decorated with various artifacts, such as a suit of samurai armor in the far corner. It was a little dark, but it wasn't hard to make out the tall bookshelves that filled most of the wall. On them were all of the classics. Not a bad collection at all actually, though they looked a little old

"All first editions, naturally," I turned to see the man I recognized as Mr. Ghul standing behind me. He had a slight middle eastern accent, and a deep, commanding voice. He looked like he was trying to be friendly, but something was a little... offsetting about him. Sticking out his hand, he introduced himself, "Ross Ghul. You probably don't remember me, Bruce, but I was a friend of your father's back in the day."

"I don't, but it's nice to meet you now," I shook it.

"Well, go on and find your seat Bruce. We'll be starting in a moment," I nodded and, after looking around some, saw Harvey in a corner and went to sit by him. I didn't recognize anyone else, but Croc sprinted in as the bell rang, with a busted lip. He took a deep breath, then went to sit with his teammates.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Ghul announced, stepping in the front of the classroom, "Welcome to Notable Figures in History. In case you don't remember from the assembly yesterday, my name is Ross Ghul, and I'll be teaching this class," he turned around and started writing on the board.

"So Bruce, how was your morning?"

"Short and hung over," I turned to face Harvey, "Yours?"

"I don't drink," he admitted almost shyly, "So not bad really."

"Good for you then," I clapped him on the back.

"Napoleon Bonaparte," Ghul announced, turning back to us, "What do you know of him? One at a time now."

Someone slowly raised their hand, "He was a French military dictator in the early 19th century, following the French Revolution."

He grinned, "Very good, mister..."

"Sage," the student replied, "Vic Sage."

"All right. Very good, Mister Sage," he looked at the class, "He is absolutely right. He was a dictator, ruled France, and all that. But he also carried a miniature portrait of his wife into every battle he was in. Let's try another one. Joseph Stalin?"

"Leader of the Soviet Union during and after World War II."

Ghul laughed, "Mister Sage is making everyone else look bad. Yes, that's what he's known for. But he was also an exquisite poet, who wrote under the nickname of Soselo. I highly suggest them if you're a fan of poetry," he looked at the class, "When you look through history, you see all of these larger-than-life figures. You see Thomas Jefferson, an american God, but never realize that he had an intense affair with one of his slaves. You objectify these people, make them more than what they seem. But, like us, they were but men and women. Flesh and blood. In this class, we will not learn history. We will learn people. We will learn what these people were like personally, whether their actions are viewed as good or evil in hindsight. Any questions?"

Not a single hand raised.

"Good," he nodded to the class, "Let me grab your syllabus," Ghul went to busy himself at his desk.

"Strange," Harvey mumbled, Very strange."

After class, I was quick to grab my stuff and head for the door, but he stopped me.

"Bruce!" Ghul called, raising his hand in beckoning, "Come here."

I did as he commanded.

"What did you think of my lecture today?"

"It was... Intriguing," I admitted, "Less than conventional, but it could turn out to be a very interesting semester."

"That it could," Ghul agreed, "By the way, as the son of Thomas Wayne, I feel obligated to help you with anything you may need. High school is an important time in a man's life. If you ever need anything, feel free to ask."

I nodded, a little embarrassed, "Thank you, Mister Ghul - "

"Ross is fine," he told me, "No need for formality. Oh yes, and I arranged for a tour for you at lunch."

"No need, Mis - er, Ross. I've got it, thanks though."

"No, I insist. Talia? You can come in now!"

I turned to see a girl walk through the door. She wore a white dress and sported long brown hair, "Bruce? This is my daughter, Talia. She's a sophomore, and will be your host on the tour."

"I, ah... I guess it would be nice to have a tour."

"Splendid!" Ross cried, "The two of you had best be off to class now, but she'll meet you at the stairs to the cafeteria at the beginning of break."

I nodded and ran off, but didn't hear the conversation that came next.

"So, father. What do you think of him?"

"Promising, but I need to be sure. We can't just let anyone in after all."

_R&amp;R! Hope you liked it!_


	7. Pull-Ups with Mr Wilson

_Hey guys! New chapter! I know there's not a lot, but it's PE. Not a lot usually happens the first day anywhere, especially there. Next chapter will be longer again!_

_Warning: not mine._

Second period was PE. I hurried into the locker room to get changed, since meeting up with Talia had made me kinda late. By the time I had, everyone else was already in the gym, gathered around... Something. Jogging over, I saw that it was one of the teachers. He was doing one-armed pull-ups on a bar hanging on a wall, grunting to himself with each repetition. He was wearing a plain orange breathable shirt and grey short-shorts. His muscles were huge, and shown off by how tight his clothes were. His face showed no ounce of effort, but sweat dripped from under his eyepatch onto his beard, making it glisten in the light. As the final bell rang, he dropped to the ground, then turned to one of his nearby co workers, "How many was that, Desmond?" He asked in a thick Australian accent.

"Six hundred and forty-three, Slade," the larger man grumbled.

The first man shrugged, "Not my best day," then turned to face the class, "Attention!" He called, "For those of you who don't remember, my name is Slade Wilson. You can call me Mister Wilson, Coach Wilson, or anything to that effect. Calling me by my first name or just "Wilson" will get you a lap. Got it?"

The class stood silent.

"Good," he gestured to the man sitting next to him, "This is my assistant, Roland Desmond. While not the brightest bulb in the box, he's tough as nails. I wouldn't go testing him if I were any of you," his eyes landed on me for a second before moving on. He began talking about the class when I heard a familiar snicker behind me

"What's up with this guy?"

I turned to see Jay leaning against the wall next to me, arm around Harley's waist, "A bit of a hard-ass, don't you think?"

"I heard that!" Wilson turned to face Jay, "Push-ups! Now! Gimme fifty!" he spat.

Jay shrugged, "You're the man, Willy," he dropped and started doing his push-ups, surprisingly well, actually, given his thin arms.

"And another twenty for calling me 'Willy'," it was obvious this would be a long semester for both Jay and Wilson.

With Jay busy, I started scanning the class for other people I knew. Across the room,Tommy was chatting up Roman and Nigel. I noticed Jonathan in the corner, looking uncomfortable in his PE clothes, and waved him over.

When he finally made his way over (the crowd was thick, so it took a few minutes), he breathed a sigh of relief, "Nice to see a familiar face."

"All right then, miscreants! Classes are short today, so we're only going to be running a mile!"

A collective groan came from the group, causing Wilson to laugh, "By the end of your senior years, a mile will be nothing. Now go!" he turned on a stopwatch, and we began to run.

_Next class: English!_


	8. Curiouser and Curiouser

_Sorry I haven't been writing much, guys. Life's been getting in the way. After I get through the idea of what Bruce's day-to-day life is, I'll be able to get onto more interesting things, like sports, holidays, tests, and the like._

"Good day, class, and welcome to freshman english!"

_This guy is weird as hell _I thought to myself. In the front of the room stood Jervis Tetch, my bucktoothed, ginger english teacher. He was wearing a green waistcoat and hat. along with a polka-dotted bowtie and checkered pants. Probably one of the oddest costumes I'd ever seen anyone wear.

"Many of my students affectionately refer to me as the Hatter, due to my love for Lewis Carroll's famous novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It should be unsurprising, therefore, that this will be the first story I have you read. Now, come to the front of the room, class. Everyone pick up a book from my desk," he gestured to a pile of novels almost as tall as he was, "Come forward and get your copies, as well as a packet for you to fill out about the book."

I followed behind everyone else, picking up my copy and turning it over in my hands. I'd watched the Disney movie as a kid, and that was weird enough. I couldn't even imagine the original version...

"Now, today will be an easy day," Tetch said as the class returned to their seats, "Go ahead and begin reading. I look forward to your opinions," he laughed, a high-pitched cackle. That laugh was going to annoy the hell out of me.

As class ended, I walked out of the room, and noticed Matt walking out of a nearby classroom. I hurried over to him, and he spied the book in my hand. He just grinned, "You got old Jervis, do ya? How do you like the book?" he showed off his own copy, with "Period 2" written on the cover.

"Curiouser and curiouser."

"So, in other words, it makes zero sense?"

"You get me so well man."

_Anyways, I have two chapters today, to hopefully make up for some lost time._


	9. Time with Talia

_Other chapter I promised. _I_ feel confident about this chapter, but tell me what you guys think!_

I checked my schedule, then smacked myself in the face. Lunch time.

I walked to the cafeteria, trying to fight my way through the massive crowd that was beginning to form. Reaching the front of the line, I grabbed a hamburger off the counter and forced my way towards the door. Matt was behind me, looking confused, "The guys are over that way."

"I know, Matt," I told him, stepping back to dodge a careless junior, "But I've got plans for today. I'll catch you later!"

He nodded and waved as I stepped out into the fresh air. I could breathe now. Unwrapping my lunch, I couldn't see Talia anywhere, so I sat down on a bench near the stairs, chewing on the burger while I waited for her to arrive. I was there for a few minutes when I felt someone's presence behind me.

"There you are."

I turned to look where the words came from, and I saw Talia standing there. I stood up, tossing the last piece of burger into my mouth, "I was starting to wonder if you were going to show up."

"Got caught up in the crowd," she walked to the other side of the bench, "Ready to go?" she asked in a steely voice.

"Not very friendly," I noted, standing up and tossing my wrapper in a nearby trash can, "Lead the way."

We started our tour at the old penitentiary. This was where the dorms and cafeteria were. She gave me a quick walk around, but that was really it. She'd probably guessed that I'd explored it already.

Talia didn't really say much. She motioned to the sign and walked inside. She wouldn't even look back to see if I was keeping up with her quick pace. Good thing it wasn't Oswald she was leading on a tour then.

Right across the way was the old medical facility - the offices were over here. Offices for teachers to work without students bothering them, the internal workings of the school, and the breakroom. Most of what I figured out about the building came from the signs on the doors. It was obvious she knew her way around, but was purposefully staying quiet, let me soak it all in myself. Probably not because she thought I could - probably because she didn't like me. It wasn't hard to pick that up.

Next was the physical education area. I'd been here before, which was a good thing, because she barely walked through the room, cold as ever. Geez.

I stopped for a second to grab a quick drink at a water fountain, then turned around to see Coach Wilson standing there, "You're with 'er today, mate?" he asked me.

I nodded, "Yeah."

"I suggest you watch out for her - when she's mad, she's nasty as she acts. And if you even think about getting involved with her - well, let's say her father can be a very dangerous person. It's obvious he's taken a liking to you already, but his favor can be a precarious position."

I nodded to him, "Thanks."

"Don't think I'm just being nice t'ya, mate. I'm scared of both her and her father. It's just outta common courtesy," he stepped aside, "Now go hurry up. I wouldn't be falling too far behind if I were you."

Looking around, I saw that she was already long gone, and hurried up after her.

By the time I caught up, she was almost to the Botanical Gardens. I'd heard about this place before... it was originally just a place for the Arkham staff to plant and harvest fresh fruits and vegetables, but after it became a school it was filled with all sorts of rare and exotic plants. For research they said. There was a rumor going around that they were being used to make experimental drugs by Professor Strange, but I doubted it. How stupid was that?

Finally, we reached the old Arkham Mansion. Sitting on the east side of campus, it loomed over the rest of the dwarfish buildings. This was where most of the classes were held. We walked up and down a few halls, past the auditorium, and finally reached the end of our tour: the library.

This room was magnificent. Stretching high and with multiple levels of books, this would've been a bookworm's haven. Looking around, I saw books one every subject. It was pretty dead though - beginning of the year I guess. The librarian was reading some magazine as I passed and the only other people were a group sitting at a bunch of tables across the room. That was where Talia stopped. As I got closer, I realized what it was that they were doing: they were playing chess. I watched them play for a moment, and started to realize that some of them were really good. I sat down at a table, and watched as pawn was sacrificed to take rook, and one player got in a queen-king fork.

After a few minutes, I heard a voice behind me, "They're the best in the school."

I swiveled around quickly and met the face of Mr. Ghul, grinning, "Most of them came over with me from A. Scott High back in Coast City. My best students," he gestured to a nearby, empty board, "Care to play?"

A half an hour later, we were both intensely focusing on the game. He'd taken my queen's pawn for first blood, but I'd taken revenge by nabbing the same knight that started it. He lost his queen to my bishop, but it was obvious he didn't need it to take mine. At this point, the game was almost done. I had aboth knights and my king. He had his king, a pawn, and a rook. I was unable to stop him from promoting that pawn, and within two moves he had me in mate.

I stuck out my hand, "Good game."

He took it and shook, "Very well played, young man. You play chess often?"

"My bu - er, friend and I played it a lot before I came here. I got pretty good I guess."

He laughed, "Yes you did. How would you like to come join us tomorrow?" he extended his other hand, which was holding a small slip of paper, "Maybe you'll join us."

I looked down at the card, "League of Assassins" it read in stylized text, "Ranked #1 in the state ten years running. Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the library."

"Maybe I will."

_R&amp;R and I'll see you guys next chapter!_


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